School union sheds light on dues spending

Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, January 29, 2006

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal stated that the country's largest teachers union donated large sums of money last year to such causes as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and Amnesty International. But local and state union officials say the matter is more complex than reported.

Like other large unions, new federal rules require the National Education Association to disclose in much more detail how it spends members' dues money. The WSJ's article, published Jan. 3, stated the NEA gave more than $65 million to the above-named groups, plus Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition, AIDS Walk International and dozens of other advocacy groups.

Margaret Trimer-Hartley, spokeswoman for the Michigan Education Association, said the state union has 167,000 members. Members' dues to NEA average $137 yearly, with about 30,000 support staff paying half dues.

She said the state union sent $15 million in dues to the NEA in 2004-2005. According to The WSJ, nationally, member dues to the NEA were $295 million during that same year.

Fred Baker, the MEA Uniserv director in Midland, said four of the groups were given only $5,000 each out of the $65 million. Baker added that much "of the $65 million comes back to the state and local affiliates" in the form of school improvement grants, conferences and other things.

"I think this whole issue has been purposely misleading by those who started it," Baker said, adding The WSJ is "pro-corporate, pro-business and anti-union."

The MEA donates money of its own to causes and groups.

"Our budget is pretty transparent," Trimer-Hartley said. The budget can be found on the MEA website at www.mea.org/.

"Where we get the most questions … is about political contributions to candidates or parties." she said.

The MEA has a separate fund, called a political action committee, to donate money to any candidate or party, such as to the campaign of Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The MEA files reports with the Secretary of State. Donations to non-profits and charitable organizations are donated separately and not through the PAC.

Trimer-Hartley said she has not received a single call from an MEA member concerned about national donations.

"Our members are pretty well educated. They know where money goes," she said.

Trimer-Hartley said all MEA donations are based on whether the individual or cause is directly related to children, education or furthering benefits for teachers.

Political and other contributions by the MEA were light last year - $6,000. That includes an ad in a quarterly publication sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a table at the local NAACP event, and donations to the Ingham Health Department for breast cancer awareness month, the United Way and the Greater Lansing Children's Symphony.

"Many of the Lansing-based contributions are being part of the community," Trimer-Hartley said.

Baker said there are 1,250 MEA members in Midland County and Beaverton. He said the local affiliates also make contributions, including contributions to school board candidates, judicial races and state House races. A recent contribution was made to the Meridian bond proposal campaign, which will renovate aging equipment and buildings if passed.